USA > Nebraska > Seward County > General history of Seward County, Nebraska > Part 10
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
cerned. It was the last cortege of sorrowing neighors to follow him, and if not to his last resting place, it proved to be to the place of his just doom. On that trip his doubts and fears were, no doubt many, but he did not realize its real meaning until he arrived in Seward where he was immedi- ately arrested an placed in jail.
It has been said that "murder will out," and if this one didn't "out" in every way it would be difficult to find one that did. It was a very bungling job of crime. Casler had undoubtedly made an effort to sink the body in the river, but excitement had caused him to make practially a failure of it. The wet condition of his clothing in the morning points directly to this conclusion. It was evident that he had shot and killed Monroe with the man's own revolver, and shot him while sleeping in his wagon as there was a bullet hole in the bottom of the wagon box. He had Monroe's revolver hid in his stable. He had also his victim's pocketbook and private papers hid in his bed. Monroe's satchel containing clothes and other things was found, hidden in a hedge fence at the side of the road leading to Beaver Crossing. In his effort to conceal his guilt Casler made the blunder of telling his wife all about it and permitting her to know even the hiding place of the stuff. When officers searched his home for evidence she told them where to find the pocketpook, papers and revolver. This lady was a frequent visitor at our dugout and came there as soon as she returned home after her husband's arrest and her talk removed every doubt from our mind in regard to his guilt. She did not pretend to say that he was not guilty. In fact she did not make any effort to conceal his guilt. She said that he hid Monroe's things and that she told him when doing so: "Why Lant, They Will Find You Out !"
While this crime was committed in July, 1878, Casler was not tried until in February, 1879. The case was a plain
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
one, but the usual indispensable formalities together with the presentation of all the evidence in the matter which would aid the jury in coming to a just and impartial conclusion required several day's time. But with a very short deliber- ation the jury returned a verdict of guilt against Orlando J. Casler for the murder of George L. Monroe. He was sen- tenced by Judge Post, of York, before whom the trial was conducted, to be hung on the 20th day of May, 1879.
On the morning of the day Casler was to be executed it seemed that everybody excepting the writer was on the road to Seward and there was an immense throng gathered in the city early in the day. And the precautions the sheriff had taken to observe the law and exclude the public from witness- ing the revolting scene were, in the hands of that host of ex- cited citizens, many of whom were lawless, as frail as chaff before a tornado. He had erected an inclosure of boards around the gallows and outlined a limited space, placing an equiped corps of dupities as a guard, warning people not to pass the limited line. But just before the fateful hour ar- rived a general rush was made, upon the line of deputies and the board inclosure, which swept everything out of the way of a complete and general view of the gallows and the pro- ceedings about to be enacted there. It was the general im- pression among the people that Orlando Casler deserved to be hung and the prevalent desire to know that it was done impressed many with an idea that seeing it done was the only way of knowing it had been done. And this seemed to be the only way to satisfy the public demand for the exe- cution of a bad and dangerous character. Had Sheriff John Sulivan failed in the performance of the terrible duty set be- fore him, the mob would have performed it for him. But he did not shrink from his duty and Orlando J. Casler paid the prescribed penalty for his crime at the appointed time in ac- cordance with the law so far as the mob had permitted him
.
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
to do. Of course a public execution was contrary to state statutes, but the sheriff had no other alternative. He had to strain the law to obey it and to prevent a greater violation of it by the mob than had already been enacted.
The last words of Orlando J. Casler at the closing scenes of his life were reported immediatly after the execution by several of his nearest neighbors who witnessed the entire proceedings at the execution as follows: "Before God and man I am innocent."
THE BATES --- THOMAS TRAGEDY.
In March 1880 a terrible tragedy occurred at a school house in B precinct near where the village of Bee is located. A protracted meeting was being held at the school house and there was a family by the name of Bates residing in the locality who were very much enthused with the spirit of the meeting and were taking a prominent part in the exercises. There were also some rough characters in the neighborhood by the name of Thomas who were harboring a grudge against the Bateses, and to satisfy their wrath they vented their spite upon the meetings. Being allaround toughs they had no difficulty in enlisting others of the same lawless spirit in making an effort to break up the meetings by a system of lawless disturbance. This kind of overbearing conduct was continued until patient forbearance upon the part of the church people ceased to be a virtue and violent threats were made as to what would be the result if the rowdies did not cease to disturbe the exercises. Preparations were made and one night the church people went to the meeting armed to defend their rights and the toughs went prepared for trouble which it seems they were looking for. An exchange of angry words was quickly followed by blows. Revolvers were brought into action by both sides resulting in the death of William Bates and the fatal wounding of Hillard Thomas.
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
James Thomas received a wound in the hip, Isreal Bates was wounded in the thigh and Luther Bates received a se- vere wound in the head inflisted with a spade. What brought the row to a close without further bloodshed has not been fully determined, but it was probably on account of the disabling of the principal leaders in the affray. Certainly it brought about the desired purpose of the toughs and broke up the meeting. And it seems strange that such a shame- fully outrageous violation of law and order upon their part, resulting in the murder of a respected citizen, was permitted to go without punishment or even satisfactory investigation. We fail to understand that the law would hold those toughs guiltless of murder on the theory that the church people pre- pared to defend their rights. They were in their own home and should have been as free to defend it as a private citizen would be to defend his home and he would have a right to be prepared for that purpose with a dozen or more Gatling guns if necessary. And if a citizen was killed in the defense of home with those Gatling guns the party who committed the deed would be guilty of murder just the same as if he had killed that citizen while sleeping. There is scarcely room for a doubt that several of those meeting disturbers should have been forced to account for the willful murder of William Bates.
THE SAMUEL BOWKER --- GRANGER TRAGEDY.
In the matter of the above named tragedy, which as near as our memory serves us, occured in the fall of 1880, there were five persons involved. The Grangers consisted of father, a daughter and two sons, the fifth being Samuel Bowker, the whole terrible affair being the result of a loose tongue on the part of Bowker about the Granger daughter and sister. . The daughter had recently been married and Bowker engaged in the use of disrespectful language about
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
the young lady and her marriage in presence of her father who resented Bowker's insulting manner with a strong pro- test which brought on a quarrel resulting in Bowker, who prided himself on his pugilism, striking Mr. Granger and knocking him down. These parties resided near Milford and the two brothers, Milton and John Granger were in the mercantile business in East Milford, now Grover. A few days after the assault upon their father Mr. Bowker was passing the sons' store and they came out and invited him to get out of his wagon. He immediately accepted the in- vitation and taking off his coat announced himself ready for the two brothers. With angry and violent words the fight commenced, Milton Granger soon drawing a revolver fired two shots at Bowker who kuocked the revolver from his hand when John Granger drew a revolver, firing five times at Bowker. Two of these shots took effect, one of which struck near the shoulder and passing to the spine caused Mr. Bowker's death. The Granger brothers were indited for murder and on trial plead guilty of manslaughter which was accepted by the court. They were sentenced to serve ten years in the penitentiay which term they served.
Had the Granger brothers went into the fight without the revolvers and accidently got hold of a weapon and killed their antagonist their plea would have been more plausible and they would perhaps received a lighter sentence. But the fact that each was armed with death dealing weapons was evidence of premeditated intent to kill Mr. Bowker. His violent conduct following up and defending a cowardly vocal assault upon a young lady's name reaped its reward and had much to do with mitigating the sentence and public opinion of the Granger brothers.
MURDER OF MRS. PATRICK.
A resident of B precinct by the name of Patrick, whose
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
given name we are at this time unable to state, and family seemed to be very rough and lawless. They frequently en- gaged in family strife and one day in the early part of April, 1882, Mr. and Mrs. Patrick and two sons were returning to their home from Seward when a family quarrel was com- menced between the boys and their father. This seemed to go from bad to worse until it resulted in a revolver battle. In trying to stand between the combatants, Mrs. Patrick, the wife of one and mother of the others, was killed by a shot from her husband's revolver. He was indited for mur- der, was tried, found guilty and given a sentence of life im- prisonment in the penitentiary. After serving several years of his sentence he was pardoned by the governor.
MURDER OF THE LEAVITT CHILDREN.
As W. W. Cox was a member of the grand jury which investigated this, the most brutish of all Seward county mur- ders, we will quote his account of it. It occured in 1889.
"In the southern part of D precinct there lived a family by the name of Leavitt. They were old residents, but un- fortunately they were not popular with their neighbors. There had been much trouble about their stock and various matters. Mr. Leavitt was a man in general bad repute and it made against him in this terrible trying hour. As appear- ed in the evidence before the grand jury, of which the au- thor was a member, Mr. and Mrs. Leavitt had an errand one evening at Gresham, about five or six miles distant, leaving their two young daughters in charge of the house. Upon their return late in the evening, they found the two little girls, one about eleven and the other thirteen years old lying in the yard with their throats cut. Suspicions were arroused against different parties. A grand jury was speed- ly summond. The jury was in session ten days and every avenue was searched diligently. It developed that there
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
was a deadly enmity existing against Leavitts in the com- munity and some were ready to believe that the old couple had murdered their own children; but there was no evidence to justify such a suspicion only that their general reputation as citizens was not of a high order. There was no evidence of any possible motive to commit such a deed. Some of the neighbors seemed very little concerned in the matter, accord- ing to their own testimony. We will give a few questions and their answers.
Ques. "Mr. - where were you when you heard of the murder ?"
Ans. "Attending to my own business."
Ques. "How did it affect you?"
Ans. "I didn't care, it was none of my business."
Ques. "Did you go down there?"
Ans. "No."
Ques. "How far do you live from the Leavitts?"
Ans. "About three-quarters of a mile."
Ques. "Why did you not go down and see the murder- ed children ?"
Ans. "I did not care, and was busy at my work."
"This is the way the evidence ran with one neighbor, and yet scarcely no suspicion was placed at his door, only a sus- picion that he was brutal.
"On an adjoining farm was a man by the name of Gerd Stienblack who had had much trouble with Leavitt about unruly stock, and there was much bad blood existing. When he was told of the murder he did not care enough to go and see, although he lived less than half a mile distant. How- ever he seemed agitated, but gave vent to the idea that it was no concern of his. Stienblack was summoned before the jury and when closely and sharply cross questioned he became much excited and as the old saying is, "He danced like a chicken on a hot griddle." He was on the witness
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
stand a half day and became so frightened or maddened that he went home and hanged himself in his own barn.
"There was a wide spread suspicion in the jury room and among the people that he knew all about the murder, but the jury was not able to agree or to fix the awful crime at the door of any person, and with many it remains a mystery to this day. But now after the long years have passed, we are free to say that we have never had occasion to change our mind that at least one of the guilty parties met his God before that jury closed its session. Below we give a letter left by Mr. Stienblack, in German, but translated by Rev. Father Gruber. The letter is without date and reads as follows:
"I do not want to have spread my name town. There- fore, greeting once more. I am not guilty of the deed. This my wife and daughter know as well as I, for I dared to tell the truth. But it is too late now. And so has the deed been attributed also to me, of which nevertheless I an quite innocent. My beloved wife and daughter, God will give that we see each other in eternity again. Gerd Stienblack."
This is Mr. Cox's story, of that murder, as a juror who investigated the crime. In view of what did develope before that grand jury, according to his statement, the truth of which there is no room for a doubt, the Leavitt family, what- ever they may have been, good or bad, had some terrible bad and dangerous neighbors, leaving out of consideration the murder of the little girls. That the murder of those two little girls without a possible motive, was the act of a mad or insane person seems apparant. And the whole conduct of Gerd Stienblack, leading up to and including his almost incomprehensive letter and his self destruction point him out distinctly as a mad-man. Whether he was responsible or not, if he committed the murder, is a matter of grave doubt. Again his insanity may have resulted from excitement and
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
fear that he was in danger of having to account for the crime. But that he was insane there is no room for doubt. No sane person ever committed suicide.
MURDER AND SUICIDE AT SEWARD.
The citizens of the city of Seward, and in fact of the whole county of Seward, were horror-stricken on the even- ing of June 25th, 1902, by the report that the murder of one and the suicide of another of the city's well known business men had been committed that evening. A. D. Lange shot and killed John Hand on the street and after walking one block to his home fired one shot into his own body and one shot into his head. All of the physicians in the city were soon in attendance, but he was out of the reach of human assistance and passed away in a short time.
The cause of this terrible tragedy is the same one that has prompted more such shocking homicides than any other one thing in the world-a fickle wife and a foolish man. John Hand had been paying illegitimate attention to Lange's wife for over two years which had brought about a muscular encounter between the two men about a year previous to the final end, and yet Hand foolishly presisted in his attentions to the lady. And the result, with all of its heartrending features, was not surprising to many of Seward's citizens who were well aware of the conditions as they had existed for a long time.
The men were both in business in Seward, Lange being a dealer in groceries which business Hand had just previous- ly sold out of to engage in the sale of pumps and windmills. Hand left a wife and several children, some of them grown.
JACOB VOTAVA MURDER.
Jacob Votava was a Bohemain who resided alone on a farm a short distance east of Milford. On Sunday afternoon,
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
October 29th, 1906, one of the workmen on the B. & M. rail road grade through that section, discovered Mr. Votava lying on his bed in his house and after a time became satis- fied that the man was dead. He gave the alarm and an in- vestigation showed that he had been dead several days. A coroner's jury was summoned and rendered a verdict that he had been murdered by shooting. Indications pointed to the fact that two persons had occupied the house the night of the murder, but no clue was learned as to who committed the crime. Votava was supposed to have some valuables and just before his murder had sold some hogs and suspicion was prevalent that he was murdered for his money. Every- thing of value that could be carried away had been taken from the place. Mr. Votava was about forty years old and had no relatives in Seward county.
THE BERT PICKREL TRAGEDY.
A shocking and terrible tragedy occured in the city of Seward, January 9th, 1913, when a young wife was shot to death by a jealous husband of only five weeks. On an ac- quaintance of only two weeks Bert Pickrel married a young girl, became jealous on account of her conduct with other men, and procuring a loaded shotgun entered her sitting room, and with the pretense that he was going hunting step- ped behind the young woman and discharged the contents of the gun in the back of her head, literally tearing it to pieces. This case involves love, marriage, jealousy and murder in the brief period of seven weeks. This lover, jeal- ous husband and murderer possibly was mentally unbalan- ced which would form the only basis for even a partial excuse for his horrible crime. He was placed in jail where he waited until the convening of the district court when he plead guilty of murder in the second degree and was sentenced to serve twenty-five years in the state penitentiary.
CHAPTER XXI.
The Precincts-Their Location by Government Survey-Range and Town Numbers. Precinct Representation on County Board-Its Changes.
In the original plan of township division of Seward coun- ty there was no such thing as name or letter for the pre- cincts. The government survey discribed or located each township by town number and range east of the principal maridian and homesteads were entered by section number, town number and range. While this was the established system for the government to divide up the wild land belong- ing to it and was the most accurate way of keeping track of that vast real estate, it was unhandy for general business among the residents of the different townships therefore a revision was shortly made and the sixteen townships estab- lished as precincts to be known by letter after the first six- teen letters of the alphabet, running from A to P. In the location of the townships by town number and range there are but four town numbers and four range numbers in Seward county, the ranges being numbered one, two, three and four, east of the principal maridian, range one being the county's western tier of townships. They run north and south and include four towns. The town numbers run east and west, each town number representing four townships or the same town number in each different range. The towns are numbered nine, ten, eleven and twelve, from the south. We have drawn a diagram of the county by precincts, giving the location of each and showing the town number, range and precinct letter. By leaving out the letter the location of the township by the government survey will be easily un- derstood. However for the benefit of school pupils who might desire a clear understanding of the system adopted
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
by the United States Government to designate sixteen dif- ferent towns in a county by the use of only four town num- bers and four ranges we refer them to the fact that there is but one of the same town number in each range. For in- stance while there are four townships designated as town twelve, which are the north tier of townships, there is only one town twelve in each of the four ranges.
Town 12
Range I
Town 12
Range 2
Town 12
Town 12
D Prec't
C Prec't
B Prec't
A Prec't
Range 4
Town II
Range 1
Town II
Range 2
Town II
Town II
Range 4
Town 10
Range I
Town IO
Range 2
Town 10
Town IO
L Prec't
K Prec't
J Prec't
Range 3
I Prec't
Range 4
Town 9
ยท Range I
Town 9
Range 2
Town 9
Town 9
M Prec't
N Prec't
O Prec't
Range 3
P Prec't
Range 4
Each precinct contains thirty-six sections, being six miles square, the sixteen precincts amounting to five hund- red and seventy-six sections or that number of square miles. One section contains six hundred and forty acres of land therefore the county is composed of 368,640 acres. In the original plan of the government to divide these sections into
Range 3
H Prec't
E Prec't
F Prec't
G Prec't
Range 3
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
homesteads of a quarter section each, which was supposed to be a farm, the area of Seward county would have made one thousand, eight hundred and four farms. But that plan did not succeed after the rail road grant of every other section was made. And this deal cut the size of homesteads down one-half and in the final sale of the rail road's land the ob- ject aimed at by the government in the homestead act, to make an even division of the land among actual settlers, proved to be a failure. Not only did speculators take ad- vantage of an opportunity to get a hold of tracts of land, but homesteaders who had got a start, purchased rail road land to more than twice the amount of the original homesteds. This enlargement of farms reduced the number of farms and also the number of settlers.
Section one is the north-east section in each precinct and the section numbers run east and west as shown in the following illustration.
6
5
4
3
2
I
:
7
8
9
IO
II
1 2
18
17
16
15
14
13
19
20
2 I
22
23
24
30
29
28
:
27
26
25
31
32
33
34
35
36
This little diagram illustrates the form and dimension of one precinct in Seward county. It is intended to represent
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
any one of the precincts designated by town and range num- ber or letter. But the interests of the city of Seward, which is in G precinct, conflicted with the interests of the rural or farming sections and made it necessary to establish an independent and separate precinct of the city, which trans- action occurred about 1886. However the original area of G precinct was not changed. In the rough and hilly pre- cincts where the survey of the sections was made up and down hills the level area is shorter than in the more even surfaced precincts and some of the eighty and quarter sec- tion homesteads have been found scant of full measure from one to two acres. It is probable that those short tracts of land may have the full amount of tillable surface if tilled as they were surveyed.
In the organization of the county a commissioner system was enacted by which the interests of the entire precincts were placed under the' controle of three commissioners. They were generally selected from precincts in different lo- calities, but there was no regular district system comprising certain precincts to be represented by each trustee. As the interest of the county was mutually shared by all the pre- cincts this arrangement was, for a short time, acceptaple. The first seeming cause for dissatisfaction with this plan of county government, whether it was so considered at the time or not, occurred at the beginning and during the con- test between Seward and Milford for the perminent location of the county seat. A majority of the county board at that time was two and the system of representation left it more than probable that the majority would favor one or the other of the contestants as their own personal interests dictated, and considerable legal trickery was manufactured and a gen- eral contention was in progress with the board during the contest, some of them being arrested on false charges made by parties of both sides of the contest. From that period
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